Shameful Speculation
by Laura Scofield
Summary: Part of the Spectrum of Tayend series. Tayend is horrifed to hear two Vindo sailors speculating about himself and Dannyl...


**Shameful Speculation**

**Colour Theme: Black**

_(Set at the start of The Novice, during Dannyl and Tayend's first ship journey together.)_

Tayend didn't like the way the two sailors were looking at him and Ambassador Dannyl. Not one bit.

The scholar and Dannyl were standing at the ship's railings looking out over the ocean. They had been travelling for three days now, and Tayend was uncomfortably aware of the inappropriate glances some of the sailors gave him. However, Dannyl was completely oblivious to all of this. Just like now, when two sailors only several paces away were engaged in an avid discussion about the magician and the scholar.

"Are you feeling any better, Tayend? You still look very pale." Dannyl asked the younger man kindly.

Tayend was busy trying to listen to the conversation that the two Vindo sailors were having, and it took him a few seconds to realise that Dannyl had spoken to him.

"What? Oh, a bit better I suppose…" Tayend replied distractedly, continuing to listen to the sailors.

Dannyl, well skilled in the practise of eavesdropping, saw immediately what Tayend was up to. Leaning in towards the Elyne he murmured, "Are they saying anything interesting?"

A mischievous smile played across Tayend's lips. "Just keep looking towards the sea, and don't look in their direction. I'll translate what they are saying for you."

Dannyl grinned, making Tayend's pulse race. _I wish he'd do that more often; it makes him look so handsome… and definitely less intimidating!_

They both turned their backs to the sailors, and pretended to be deep in conversation. Tayend strained his ears over the sound of the crashing waves to hear what the Vindos were saying. But as soon as he began to make out what they were discussing, Tayend's face grew hot with mortification and anger.

"…he's easy on the eyes alright, and he's tall, which is never a bad thing!" One sailor commented in Vindo. Both men chuckled obscenely, making it obvious that that they weren't really thinking about Dannyl's height.

At Tayend's side, the magician gave him a nudge with his elbow, and muttered, "What are they laughing about?"

Tayend managed to keep a straight face. "Ah, well you see… they haven't seen many Kyralians before, and they think you're very tall!"

Dannyl frowned, but seemed to accept Tayend's translation. "Alright, keep listening!"

Feeling apprehensive, Tayend concentrated on the stream of Vindo words.

"…that Elyne, the magician says he's a scholar, but he doesn't look like one to me! Just look at his fancy hair and clothes! I doubt scholars look like _that_…"

The other sailor retorted, "Didn't you hear the rumours about Lord Dannyl? It's more likely the magician hired the Elyne to keep his bed warm for him…"

The first man agreed enthusiastically. "Of course! That Elyne doesn't look like he'd be much help with the magician's research… So the magician _must_ be paying him for other, more pleasurable services!"

The Vindos laughed again, even more bawdily this time. Tayend felt himself shaking with pure outrage. _How _dare_ those filthy-minded, unwashed sailors speak like that? What right do they have to stand there openly staining Lord Dannyl's honourable name? Not to mention my own!_

"What are they saying? It's something dirty, isn't it?" Dannyl asked in a whisper, sounding both eager and uncomfortable at the same time.

_There's _no_ way I'm telling him the truth,_ Tayend decided firmly to himself.

"Well," Tayend whispered back,"They are admiring my fine clothes and… ah, they wonder what type of research we are doing together."

"Is that _it_? Then why are they laughing like a pair of vulgar youths? Are you _sure _you're translating correctly?" Dannyl questioned in disbelief.

Instead of answering, Tayend continued to listen to the Vindos.

"Just look at the way they're leaning in so close to each other… I wonder what sweet words they are whispering to each other? See the way the Elyne is trembling? The magician must be making him excited with the promise of what he'll do to him tonight… And by the way, I'm sure they aren't at all disappointed to be sharing the same room; it's just a shame those beds are so narrow! But I suppose they don't necessarily _need_ a bed…"

The sailors let out a bellow of rowdy laughter, and this was more than Tayend could handle. Spinning furiously around, the scholar marched straight towards the two Vindo men. The sailors abruptly stopped laughing, and appeared very startled by Tayend's fierce expression. Still quivering with rage, the Elyne took a deep breath and spoke to the men in Vindo.

"Don't you two have _any _work to do? I'm sure you're not being paid to stand around gossiping shamelessly about respectable passengers!"

The two men were stunned, and horrified that Tayend had understood what they had been discussing. Clearly they had not anticipated that Tayend could speak Vindo, or _any_ foreign language for that matter. Before either man had a chance to respond, Tayend turned sharply away and stormed off towards his room.

Dannyl had watched Tayend's outburst with fascination. Why on earth was he so angry with the sailors? What had they been _really_ saying? Shaking his head in bemusement, the magician walked curtly past the two sailors, and followed the scholar down to their room. _Clearly I've still a lot to learn about this young man_, Dannyl thought in amusement to himself.


End file.
